Suction-meter.



J. W. GAMBLE.

SUCTION METER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 3!. 1914.

1,202,050. Patented Oct. 24,1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- INVENTOR WITNESSES I 4. 77M BY 7 ATTORN EY m: NflNRIs zrsus cu. Puomuma, wAsnmcmM u. c.

J. W. GAMBLE.

SUCTION METER.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31. 1914.

Patented Oct. 24, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR 'ATTORNEY TED STATES iirArENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH GAMBLE, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JOSEPH S.

LOVERING WHARTON, WILLIAM S. HALLOWlELL, AND JOHN C. JONE ALL OF. PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, DOING BUSINESS UNDER FIRM-NAME OLE HARRISON SAFETY BOILER WORKS.

SUCTION-METER.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Oct. .24, 1916.

, Application filed July 31, 1914. Serial No. 854,235.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH lV. GAMBLE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the cityand county of Philadelphia, in the :State of Pennsylvania, have inventedv certain new. and useful Improvements in Suction-Metergof which the following is a true and exact description, refverence 'beinghad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part-thereof. I

I My present invent1on relates to flow measuring apparatus, (in which the rate of flow of a fluid is determined from the varying accumulation of liquid on the supply side of a weir over which the "liquid to be 'meas-' ured flows; and the purpose of my invention is to provide simple and elfective means whereby the weir chamber may be made apart of the suction line through which a boiler feed or other, pump draws water from a well or reservoir in which the water level is located below the level of flow over the weir.

Thevarious features of nove'lty character 'izing my invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part :of this specification. Fora better understanding of 'the'invention, however, and ofthe advantages possessed by it,

reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which I have illustrated and. described the best forms of my invention now known to *Ofthe drawings: Figure 1 is asomewhat diagrammatic elevation with parts broken away and in section,.oit apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation, on a larger scale than Fig. 1,.oi a portion of the apparatus shown 1n Flg. .1;

Fig. 3 is a View takensimilarly to Fig. 1,

At, which formed at .its upper edge with the tank A at thetopof the latter.

one or more weir notches A. Liquidpasses mto the mlet compartment A through a supply pipe B, which, as shown, leads from a well or reservoir C in which the height .of water level is substantially below the normal water level in the compartment A of the weir-tank. A valve B, controlled by a float .b 1n the outlet compartment A is .opened and closed by the float accordingly astthe water level in the compartment A falls below and rises. to a predetermined level. The water passing through the Weir .tank is withdrawn from the latter through the outlet connection D by a pump E, which may deliver the water directly to a boiler or a closed water heater, or to some other means .or place-for utilizing or disposing of the water.

1 represents the mechanism for indicating, integrating or recording the flow through :the weir tank, and the actuating member of this mechanism is a float I, located within the inlet compartment A of the tank.

- represents the steam supply pipe, from which steam passes throughthc branch pipe F to thesteam cylinder of the pump E. A second branch pipe -F from the steam pipe F leads :to thesteam inlet of an ejector G. The mixing chamber G of the ejector is connected by the pipe G to the interior of the tank A at-thetop of'the latter.

represents a "ball check valve preventing flow fromthe chamber G toward the tank A, gbutiopen'ingto permit a flow in .the

opposite direction. The discharge nozzle from theejector G is connected to a dis- 'ChaIgGPlPG Gawhich may lead to waste. The flow of steam through the pipe F to the ejector .Gr is governed by a' valve J,

which, as shown, has a movable balanced valve member J, the stem J of which is connected to a diaphragm' K.. The latter closes the upper endof a chamber L, which is connected'by a'pipe L to the interior of A spring K acting between the spider-like nut which clamps the diaphragm K in place, and the nutsl on 'thethreaded stem J of the valve J, supplements the action of the pressure against the underside of the diaphragm K in tending to move the valve member J up from its seat. The lifting of the valve member J off its seat permits the steam to pass from the pipe F into the ejectorG. The latter,-.thereupon, operates to withdraw air from the tank A, and thus to establish a pressure in the latter below that of the atmosphere. 'As the pressure in the tank A decreases, there is an increasing differential between the downward pressure the tension of the spring K, which may be I adjusted by means of the nuts J It will be understood, of course, that the tension of the spring K is so adjusted as to insure the proper minus pressure in the tank A to cause water to be forced by atmospheric pressure from the reservoir C through the pipe B into the tank A at a sufficiently rapid rater EA for withdrawing water from the weir tank may have connected thereto an air cylinder E, as shown in Fig. 3. With this form of my invention, the pressure in the tank A may be controlled by a pressure responsive valve JA, generally similar to the valve J of Figs. 1 and 2, and operated by similar means. The valve JA, however, as shown in Fig. 4:, opens on a downward movement of the diaphragm 'K corresponding to a decrease of pressure in the tank A, and the valve J A is employed to admit atmospheric air into the pipe E connecting the air pumping cylinder E to the tank A. By the adjustment of the operating means for the valve J A, the proper vacuum may be maintained in the tank A, for when the valve J A is closed, the full capacity of the air cylin der E. is utilized in withdrawing air from the tank, but when the vacuum rises higher than is desired in the tank A, the valve J A admits air to the pipe E thus increasing the pressure in the latter, whereupon the ball valve H closes, in effect disconnecting the tank A fromthe pipe E The admission of air to the pump cylinder E, when the vacuum creating action of the latter is not needed, obviously reduces the power then.

V j A. r In lieu of employing a jet ejector as the vacuum producing device, the steam pump tank. One arrangement operating in this manner is illustrated in Fig. 5. The apparatus shown in Fig. 5 difi'ers from that shown in Fig. 1 essentially only in the omission of the valve B and float b, and in the substitution for the valve J and its operating means employed in Fig. 1, of the valve sucked into the tank A through the pipe B.

The water passing into the tank always car- .ries some air with it which is liberated in the tank, thus tending to lower the vacuum, and furthermore. an undue rise in the height of water level in the compartment A decreases the vacuum in the tank A by compressingthe air above the water in the tank WVith properly designed apparatus of the character shown in Fig. 5, therefore, no

special provisions are ordinarily necessary to prevent the tank A from flooding on a sudden decrease in the rate at which water is being withdrawn from the tank.

While in accordance with the provision of the statutes, I have illustrated and described the best forms of my invention now known to me, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may be made in the forms of apparatus disclosed without departing from the spirit of my invention, and that under some conditions certain features of my invention may be used without a corresponding use of other features.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a liquid measuring system, the combination vwith a closed weir chamber of means for withdrawing the measured liquid therefrom, a suction pipe through which the liquid to be measured is sucked into said chamber and means for maintaining a regulated vacuum in the air space of said chamber.

2. In a liquid measuring system, the combination of a closed weir chamber, a source of liquid, a suction pipe connecting said source to said chamber, means for withdrawing liquid from said chamber and means responsive to the pressure in the air space of said chamber for withdrawing air from said chamber as required to maintain said pressure at a predetermined value less than atmospheric.

3. In a liquid measuring system, the combination of a closed weir chamber, a source of liquid, a suction pipe connecting said source to said chamber, means for Withdrawcumulation of liquid in said chamber for ing liquid from said chamber, means reregulating the flow through said suction sponsive to the pressure in the air space of pipe. said chamber for Withdrawing air from said JOSEPH W. GAMBLE. 7 chamber as required to maintain said pres- Witnesses:

sure at a predetermined value-less than at- D. STEWART, mospheric and means responslve to the ac- J OHN 'E. HUBBELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. C. 

